The standard way to refer to a citizen of the country, identified as the  United States of America, is as an "American".

Tyler Perry is the pinnacle of role models. Good post.

Well written, thoughtful post.  Did not realize the Black History week was specifically placed to tie to Lincoln and Douglass' birthdays. 

I haven't seen red tails, but when I saw an ad, I thought "this was already done".  I thought the movie saw some years ago was pretty good, sounds like there's no reason to see tails.

"RedTails" isn't a movie I would see whether a white or black cast/story because I am not into war stories but I will be in the theatre Friday February 24 to see Tyler Perry's "Good Deeds"--I really like his movies, learn a lot and I wish there was more of a crossover for his films!

Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002)

The real Commander of the "Redtails"!!

Kosovo War
War on Terror

Present Commander Third US Army

Do not forget that Spike Lee also had blacks flock to his movies and I personally do not believe that it put a positive spin on blacks in America. In fact, some of the stereotypical portrayal of blacks by Perry were not all that flattering.

While I realize the we have crack head white folks, I would not put them out as examples of Caucasians in America. To be honest, I find the portrayal of your average white people on most sit coms to be contrary to the people I know.

I do not blame you for being outraged by the reporting of only the bad behaviour of a minority of blacks, but it is the democrat media doing the reporting. I think they claim to be the "non" racists of the crowd.

David Duke and the KKK are has been nut jobs who could not change diddly with a pro diddly stick. When you have crap musicians spreading their version of black life and justifying crude lyrics by claiming it is just a representation of "the hood" you will have many saying "OK, if you say so"

Even an indignant black cannot with stand the onslaught of "anti you" brought on by your "anti them" sentiments. Ask Cosby how far your Black Heritage" takes you when you get on the bad side of the black establishment.

Although there are more white folks benefiting from welfare, we don't have a "white Caucus" or "National organization for the advancement of not so colored people" making excuses for honkys not having their place at the front of the economic pack.

As your average honky in America, I can tell you that there is nothing I can do to get your message out; if black folks get vilified for criticism of blacks in America, this white boy will not be so welcome either.

Good job, W...oops...Winning   HBO's "Tuskegee Airmen" was a much better and more accurate portrayal.  I haven't seen "Red Tails" but may go see it because I do like war movies.  The Tuskegee guys deserve all the attention and credit they can get, they created a record in combat unequalled by any other outfit of any color in any war.  

Race is one area I have avoided in my blogs...I don't want to be one of those "some of my best friends are black" guys but also don't want to open myself up to charges of racism.  In this format it is way too easy for agenda-driven folks to read things into an article that are not meant to be there.  But you inspire me, Winning, and maybe I'll share a tale or two...one involving Becton...I was at Patch when he was the VII Corps commander.  

Good work.

I couldn't figure out how to paste a picture here.  So, I am doing three comments in this space.  So, I will introduce Major General Charles (Charlie) Bolden, USMC.  He is presently the lead man at NASA.  He was an aviator in the Marines and had over 100 sorties in Vietnam driving the A-6 Intruder.  Charlie was also an astronaut.  I met him three or four times and got some one on one time with him.  He used to come to a lot of Marine Intruder reunions.  He is very personable.  He was "in transition" when I first met him.  He had been the CO of MCAS Mirimar (San Diego) and was doing PR things for NASA and the Marine Corp on his way to retirement.  He worked for several NASA contractors in Houston until he became the main man at NASA.  I stayed in touch with him until just before he went back to NASA.  You can type his name into any search engine and you will find him if you want more info.

Perhaps 10 years or so ago, I was out taking a break (I smoked at the time) outside and next to an Olive Garden, a big old, well kept, car came up and drop off a fellow.  This guy was well dressed and he walked with a cane.  He was not a kid.  He had a black leather coat on with information on both the front and back of it.  This guy is a Marine and I try to talk to everyone of them I meet.  He was a black man and a Marine, a WWII Marine.  He was in artillery in the South Pacific.  We had a fairly long talk as whomever dropped him off must have gotten lost.  So, of course, sea stories started.  The Marines were segregated the time and his battalion was all black.  I tease about his ride getting lost; it was his family and they were there to celebrate his birthday.  I got a lot of time with him.  He did have the Marine Gung Ho and the pride in being a Marine.  The segregation did not seem bother him, he was defending his country; Semper frigging FI!!!

This not related to race, but it popped into my mind.  I got out of the Marines during the Vietnam war with just short of seven years of service.  And as many of you remember there was a lot of politics flying around back then.  What I remember here is comments about more southern boys, colored boys, midwest boys and on were getting killed over there than others.  After the war I looked some stats about the war.  Well, there were a lot of people who died there.  The info I had broke stats out by age, sex, race, service and etc.  As it were the info about race was quite interesting.  The deaths related to race was real close to what would be in our national census no matter what race.  The average age on guys getting killed was 19.  The college grads were much higher than one would think.  If you looked into the stats you would find that many air crews were lost and most of them were college grads.  I am sure this info is easily available.

 W,

First I feel your pain and and suffer with you as you descend further into your loss of self in favor of a racial identity. I often try to imagine what it would be like if I were a successful black man who earned his stripes the old fashioned way. How would I feel every time I saw a black man arrested because he murdered some gas station attendent for 50 bucks. How would I feel every time I saw a drug deal going down in the ghetto, a black girl prostituting herself, another black pro or college athlete arrested for murder and on and on... Would I self-identify? Should I self-identify?

Of course not. You are you. You are not a black American any more than you allow yourself to be labeled as such. You cannot defend (at least you shouldn't) the criminal or immoral behaviors based on the fact that you share a racial heritage. Nor should you consider it a victory for "your People" when a black man becomes President, achieves high military rank or attains to any other great social position. You know as well as I do that when every person in America stops rooting for or defending their fellow citizens based on skin color or any other social demography it then must follow that we cannot blame crime and failure to skin color either. I know it's hard to stop this racial identity road you're going down. But it would be wise to recognize that you are on it.

IMO the most destructive force in America today is multi-culturalism. Racial division is a part of that movement. There is a misconception that focusing on our differences leads to understanding those who are different. Bullshit. It leads to supremist thinking and group agression and defensiveness.

Word

we dont go to the movies very often, maybe once a year. They hit cable fast enough. So, from what you say I'll just watch it for entertainment value and not so much as historical fact. There have been other movies about these men, and quiet a shows on the History and Military channels I've watched. Personally for role models, I'm sure there are thousands of excellent Black teachers out there, there are some excellent Black athletes, actors and such. Most of all fathers. Fathers who love their children and work hard. In this day and age, there as many white or Oriental kids out there that are as bad or worse than any of the black kids. I think a lot of the problem is the fact that so many families have to have multiple incomes to survive, and that leaves young kids of all colors without proper role models after school and on weekends as their parents try to give them a better life. It all starts at home. Now as far as social services go, I looked it up, there are more whites on ALL social services than black, blacks come next and the brown man everyone likes to demonized comes in a distant third. What I dont get is why it has to still be segregated as the problem of poverty seems to know no race or color, it' hits us all. Yes, personally I prefer to call us all Americans, color makes no difference anymore, and as far as I've always been concerned it's the man, not the color.

Haven't seen the movie, probably will if I get a chance, I like war movies. I don't go to movies to "learn" history, I study history. I go to "war movies" for the action/entertainment.

Up and until the election of our current President, I believed there had been a great deal of progress made in race relations. I think most of the "gains" we have made in those areas are being quickly eroded, probably purposefully so by this administration. I don't much expect you to believe me necessarily, just liked reading this article so I thought I would throw my two cents in. I hope and pray I'm wrong about most of the things I think these days, but if I'm right it won't matter if your prejudiced or I am, those that are engineering this are seeing to it that we find less and less "common ground" thus promoting further division. Again, I pray I'm wrong. Good luck and God bless. 5 stars for trying.....